Carpet seaming iron

ABSTRACT

An electric iron for simultaneously heating the upper surface of a heat sensitive adhesive tape and the lower surfaces of carpet edges to be joined in abutting relation, the iron having generally parallel longitudinal ridges on its outer surface adapted to limit the upward movement of the carpet edges as the iron is moved longitudinally therebetween and to push the pile of the carpet edges away from the edges, the flexible electric cord for the iron projecting from the front end of the iron.

United States Patent 11 1 Prater 5] Dec. 16, 1975 CARPET SEAMING IRON 3,523,176 4 1970 11111 219/245 Inventor: Earle F. Prater, g Beach Calif 3,651,305 3/1972 Shimota 219/243 [73] Assignee: Roberts Consolidated Industries, Primary Examiner-C. L. Albritton Inc., City of Industry, Calif. Attorney, Agent, or Firml-larris, Kern, Wallen & 22 Filed: Apr. 28, 1975 Tmsley [21] Appl. No.: 572,388 [57] ABSTRACT An electric iron for simultaneously heating the upper 521 US. Cl. 219/245; 38/88; 156/391 Surface Of a heat Sensitive adhesive p and the lower 51 int. c1. D06F 75/08 surfaces of earpet edgeS to be joined in abutting rele- [58] Field of Search 219/243, 245; 38/82, 88, tie", the iron having generally parallel longitudinal 3 75; 156/391, 57 ridges on its outer surface adapted to limit the upward movement of the carpet edges as the iron is moved [56] References Cited longitudinally therebetween and to push the pile of the UNITED STATES PATENTS carpet edges away from the edges, the flexible electric cord for the iron projecting from the front end of the 2,084,625 6/1937 Stebbms et a1. 156/391 X iron 2,484,566 10/1949 Hiller et al 156/579 X 1 3,400,245 9/1968 Burgess 219 245 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 2/ \x e c llllllllll \m, ll 1 4 L25 22a U.S. Patent Dec. 16,1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,927,298

Sheet 2 of2 CARPET SEAMING IRON BACKGROUND OF INvENTIoN plate of the iron is insertedbetween the tape and the carpet edges with the sole plate in engagement with the tape. The iron is then moved along the tape at such a speed that the adhesive behind the trailing edge of the sole plate is in condition to receive and adhesively join the lower surfaces of the'carpet edges, with the carpet edges in abutting relation.

Such irons and their use in such face seaming of carpet edges is old and well known as shown in the US.

A Pat. Nos. to Hill 3,523,176 and Burgess 3,400,245.

In such conventional face seaming of hot melt tape, the operators timing and concentration is important, as he must move the iron along the carpet at a rate that will properly melt the adhesive on the tape and at the same time he must put the carpet edges together in proper alignment behindthe iron and press them into the molten adhesive behind the iron and then hold the seam positioned until the adhesive solidifies. To remelt the adhesive and repair a mistake once the adhesive has solidified is difficult, messy, and time consuming, so it is very important that the operators attention is focused primarily on making the seam joint, and any distraction can be a deterrent to his efficiency and the quality of the work.

A primary difficulty in the use of such conventional irons in such face seaming of heat sensitive adhesive tape is that the carpet edges tend to ride up and over the superstructure on the iron to eliminate any desired guiding between the iron and the carpet and tape as the iron is moved therealong. This permits the iron to slue laterally relative to the tape and the desired carpet seam as the iron is moved therealong, and frequently results in an inadequate or otherwise unsatisfactory seam between the carpet edges.

Another difficulty in such conventional face seaming of carpet edges is that with carpet having a long pile extending upwardly therefrom, such as shag carpet commonly in use today, the long pile of the carpet obstructs the view of the operator of the seam being made between the carpet edges, or portions of long pile fall down between the edges of the carpet backing which frequently results in an unsatisfactory seam in which the carpet edges are separated from each other.

Another difficulty with such conventional irons is that the flexible electric cord for supplying electricity to the heating element of the iron normally is connected to the iron so that it extends rearwardly from the iron. In the use of such iron, the electric cord trails the iron and extends back over the desired seam to interfere with the operator s operation of the iron, and in normal face seaming the operator must move the flexible cord out of interference with the seam every foot or two of travel of the iron along the carpet, which substantially slows down the face seaming operation and interferes therewith.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION A primary object of thepresent invention is to provide an iron adapted to the face seaming of carpet edges, having means for guiding the iron relative to the carpet edges as the iron is moved longitudinally therealong and to limit the upward movement of the carpet edges relative to the iron during such face seaming. I prefer to accomplish this by providing a pair of generally parallel longitudinal ridges along the body of the iron and extending outwardly therefrom to provide a pair of guides along the outer surface of the iron which will assist the operator in moving the iron along the carpet edges in correct position to form a satisfactory seam between the edges.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an iron in which each of its longitudinal guiding ridges is warped downwardly from its leading end to its trailing end so as to force and bend any pile along the carpet edge away from the edge so as to provide the operator with better visibility as to relationship of the carpet edges as they are pressed down into the melted adhesive of the seaming tape so as to permit the operator to form a seam in which the carpet edges are in true abutment.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an iron in which the flexible electric cord connected to the iron for supplying electricity thereto does not trail along or closely adjacent to the seam being made be tween carpet edges. I prefer to accomplish this by connecting the flexible cord to the iron so that the cord extends forwardly from the leading edge of the iron so that the cord will bow out and trail behind the iron on one side or the other of the seam being made between the carpet edges so as not to interfere with the making of such seam or with the visibility of the seam to the operator as the iron is moved along relative to the carpet edges.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an electric iron of the invention in use to face seam two abutting carpet edges with a heat sensitive adhesive tape, sometimes known in the art as a hot melt adhesive tape;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal elevational view of the iron of the invention inserted between a carpet and hot melt adhesive tape;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are transverse sectional views respectively taken along the lines 4-4, 5-5, and 6-6 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring primarily to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, there is shown an electric iron 10 provided with a sole plate means 11 having a generally rectangular sole plate 12, the iron having a dorsal superstructure 13 provided with a handle 14. Connected to a leading edge of the superstructure 13 and extending forwardly therefrom is an electric cord 16. Included in the sole plate means 11 or the superstructure 13, or partially in both, is an electric heating means (not shown) for heating the sole plate 12 on its upper and lower surfaces, in conventional fashion, and electrically connected to the electric cord 16.

3 As best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 the superstructure 13 has a pair of generally parallel ridges 17, each of which extends longitudinally along and projects from one of the outside longitudinal edges of the superstructure. Each of the ridges 17 provides an overhanging lip 18 which is warped downwardly from the leading edge of the ridge to the trailing edge of the ridge, as indicated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. I

As indicated in FIG. 1, the invention is intended to seam together edges 20-of carpet segments 21 each of which is provided, as conventionally, with an upstanding pile of fabric or other threads 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, in face seaming the edges 20 of the carpet segments 21, the segments are laid on a supporting base or floor 22a, with the carpet edges 20 in abutment over a longitudinal strip of heat sensitive adhesive tape 23 having on the upper face thereof a strip of hot melt adhesive 24.

The electric iron is then heated by supplying electricity to the electric heating means therein through the electric cord 16 until the temperature of the sole plate 12 is raised to a temperature at which it will melt the hot melt adhesive 24 on the tape 23. The heated iron is then inserted between the abutting edges of the carpet segments 21, at one end of the segments, and the iron is moved longitudinally along the adhesive tape 23 at a speed sufficient to melt the hot melt adhesive 24 as the iron is moved continuously or intermittently therealong. As the iron is so moved, the operator presses down on the edges 20 of the'carpet, pressing them into the melted hot melt adhesive 24 and into abutting relationship, as generally indicated in FIG. 1. As the iron 10 is so moved the edges 20 of the carpet segments 21 move upwardly along the sides of the iron until they engage the lips 18 of the ridges 17, which limits their upward movement and indexes and centers the iron relative to the carpet edges 20, as is desired. During such movement, by reason of the warping downwardly of the lips 18 thecarpet pile 22 is pressed downwardly and outwardly, as indicated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, away from the carpet edges 20. As the carpet edges 20 pass out from beneath the trailing ends of the ridges 17 the pile 22 tends to stay generally in position as indicated in FIG. .6, and away from the carpet edges 20, which permits the operator full visibility of the edges and the opportunity in forcing the edges down into the hot melt adhesive 24 to bring them into close abutment. As the hot melt adhesive 24 cools and sets it securely holds the carpet edges 20 in such abutment, and the pile 22 springs back into its normal vertical relation to the carpet segments 21.

4 -As indicated in FIG. 1, the flexible electric cord 16, which extends forwardly from the superstructure 13, trails backwardly on one side or the other of the seam formed between the carpet edges 20 and does not obstruct the view of the operator as he forces the carpet segments down into the hot melt adhesive, and does not require any movement of the flexible cord during the operation.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for the purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim: 1. In an electric iron for simultaneously heating a heat sensitive adhesive tape and carpet edges to be joined in abutting relation by the tape, the combination of:

a. elongated, generally rectangular sole plate means being insertable between and movable longitudinally of the tape and thecarpet edges; b. electrical heating means for heating the upper and lower sides of the sole plate means; and c. a dorsal superstructure mounted onthe upper side of said sole plate means, and extending upwardly therefrom, said superstructure extending a major portion of the length of said sole plate means, from a point adjacent the leading edge of said sole plate means to a point adjacent to the trailing end thereof, and its sides being spaced inwardly of the side edges of said sole plate means,

said superstructure having on its outer surface a pair of outwardly extending and generally parallel longitudinal ridges spaced upwardly from said sole plate means, each engageable with a carpet edge and limiting upward movement of said edge relative to the iron as the iron is moved longitudinally relative to said edges, and

said superstructure including a handle by which the iron may be moved longitudinally relative to such .carpet edges.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, having a flexible electric cord for supplying electricity to said electrical heating means, said cord extending from the leading edge of said superstructure.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, in which each of said ridges is warped downwardly from its leading to its trailing edge to bend the pile along each carpet edge outwardly from such edge as the iron is moved therealong. 

1. In an electric iron for simultaneously heating a heat sensitive adhesive tape and carpet edges to be joined in abutting relation by the tape, the combination of: a. elongated, generally rectangular sole plate means being insertable between and movable longitudinally of the tape and the carpet edges; b. electrical heating means for heating the upper and lower sides of the sole plate means; and c. a dorsal superstructure mounted on the upper side of said sole plate means, and extending upwardly therefrom, said superstructure extending a major portion of the length of said sole plate means, from a point adjacent the leading edge of said sole plate means to a point adjacent to the trailing end thereof, and its sides being spaced inwardly of the side edges of said sole plate means, said superstructure having on its outer surface a pair of outwardly extending and generally parallel longitudinal ridges spaced upwardly from said sole plate means, each engageable with a carpet edge and limiting upwarD movement of said edge relative to the iron as the iron is moved longitudinally relative to said edges, and said superstructure including a handle by which the iron may be moved longitudinally relative to such carpet edges.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1, having a flexible electric cord for supplying electricity to said electrical heating means, said cord extending from the leading edge of said superstructure.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1, in which each of said ridges is warped downwardly from its leading to its trailing edge to bend the pile along each carpet edge outwardly from such edge as the iron is moved therealong. 